High school football player dies after collapsing in North Carolina

BURLINGTON, NC (WBTV) – A high school football player in North Carolina died this week after collapsing before football practice, reports say.

CBS affiliate WFMY reported that the player was a 15-year-old Cummings High SchoolOn Monday, September 23, he suffered the medical emergency while entering the field.

The school’s athletic trainer performed CPR until paramedics arrived and took the teenager to the hospital, where he later died.

In a statement to WFMY they said: Alamance-Burlington School System identified the student as Malik Mebane.

“Our district and school community are heartbroken by this tragic loss,” the district’s statement said. “Malik Mebane was a student, athlete and part of our community. As a district, we are committed to supporting our students as they process and cope with their grief… We would like to thank the community for their love and support for the school and our students as we move forward. Our thoughts are with the family and friends from Malik.”

The district said a team of counselors and support staff are on site to help students.

In one CNN report As reported on August 30, at least three student-athletes have died while playing football since the start of the current school year.

Athletes’ heart health and the importance of resuscitation came to the forefront of many Americans’ minds in January 2023, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during a Monday Night Football game. Medical staff were able to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation to restore the heartbeat after Hamlin’s heart stopped following a blow to the chest.

Since his incident, Hamlin has become something of a spokesperson for raising awareness about cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In April 2023, just a few months after his collapse, he took part in CPR training in Charlotte, which was hosted by the Carolina Panthers.

Related: 15-year-old high school football player dies after collapsing at practice

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